


That Makes Two Of Us

by xxxbookaholic



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Childhood Memories, Comfy Feels, Developing Relationship, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Light Angst, M/M, Pre-Relationship, at least i think this fic is vv comfy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:41:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27553243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxxbookaholic/pseuds/xxxbookaholic
Summary: Yuki doesn’t know how he’s supposed to act in a relationship; everything feels foreign and fake, according to him.Taichi is willing to wait as long as it takes, because even if the second desire that comes to mind when he thinks about relationships is roses and big declarations of love, his first desire is Yuki.
Relationships: Nanao Taichi & Rurikawa Yuki, Nanao Taichi/Rurikawa Yuki
Comments: 2
Kudos: 37





	That Makes Two Of Us

**Author's Note:**

> I recommend listening to my Taiyuki spotify playlist while you read this: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0QYu9AiLEP2VFzmgY2ImyI?si=rpw6bUjTRae4_lkflYAOJQ

_The wind blew through the park, causing leaves to flutter to the ground. Taichi pulled his sweater even tighter around his body, attempting to preserve the warmth it brought him. Fall had never been his favorite holiday; it left him shivering and longing to start a fire just to escape the hell that was cold air. Still, he was willing to sit outside for a little bit longer, even if just to hang out with the pretty girl across the street._

_Said girl was staring straight ahead at the passing cars, her hands clasped around the fabric of her pants. She hadn’t said anything since they’d arrived, her converse digging into the ground._

_Taichi wasn’t willing to break the silence just yet; he’d rather savor the moments he had with her._ She’s probably planning on explaining to him that he needs to leave her alone, _a part of his mind stubbornly supplied. He’d only been in school for about a year and yet he had already grown accustomed to the feeling of loneliness. It followed him around like a shadow, whispering vengeance into his ear until he felt numb, wrapping its hands around his neck until he was choking on his own insecurities. It was exhausting, made him want to curl up in bed and pretend his peers didn’t exist._

 _After a few more minutes of silence, she muttered, “I don’t know how to do this.” Her voice was quiet, especially with the wind’s howling, and he could only barely hear her._ This is it _, he thought. It wasn’t like he hadn’t been expecting it, but it still hurt, just a little bit. He had thought their relationship was different. A fool, he was._

_“What do you mean?” He asked despite already knowing what she was going to say._

_There was quiet, and then, “I don’t know how to be friends with someone.”_

_Taichi froze, his swinging legs coming to a stop. That wasn’t what he’d been expecting. Her voice was forceful, insistent, as if she just wanted to get it over with. He wasn’t sure what to say to that. To be honest, he wasn’t too sure himself. He had just been hoping she’d be able to lead them. She was pretty, logical and funny; he’d assumed that someone as perfect as her would have tons of friends, even with her sharp edges._

_“It’s easy,” he laughed, waving his hand as if he knew what he was talking about, which he_ didn’t _. “We just are!”_

_The girl turned to face him for the first time since they’d sat down. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her hands were curled into fists. He’d be quivering under her glare if he hadn’t already gotten used to it. “You’re talking nonsense. Nobody ‘just is’. There’s always a catch.”_

_He knew what she meant, but he acted like he didn’t. If he seemed calm about the situation, maybe he’d actually be able to sell the cool guy act. “There doesn’t have to be,” he smiled as softly as he could. “Unless you want there to be a catch.”_

_The girl paused, thinking it over, and then turned back to face the road again. The breeze made her scarf twist and churn under her neck. It was almost mesmerizing, the way it moved. Taichi found himself counting every twirl. “Well, I don’t want there to be. The easier, the better.”_

_Taichi giggled, going back to swinging his legs. “That’s good, because I don’t want a catch either!”_

_He couldn’t fully see her face, but she could tell she was rolling her eyes just by the tone of her voice. “Everything is simple with you, doggy. I don’t know why I even asked.”_ Doggy _. He wasn’t completely sure where the nickname came from, something about him acting like an overexcited puppy, but he didn’t mind. A nickname was a nickname; it made him feel like he was a part of something, like he mattered._

_It was a good feeling._

_The sun was beginning to peak out against the gray clouds, showering just a little bit of sunlight onto the gloomy atmosphere. Or, it would be gloomy if he wasn’t in the park, on a bench, sitting next to the pretty girl who lived down the street and preserving his sweater’s warmth._

_Nothing was gloomy with her. He leaned his head back so it was hanging off the back of the bench, enjoying the beams of light while they lasted._

_The girl murmured under her breath. It was something about friends and ‘doggy’ but Taichi couldn’t catch the full thing. She didn’t normally talk so passively, so he just assumed he wasn’t supposed to hear it to begin with._

_He didn’t mind if he heard her or not. All he wanted was to be with her while it lasted. While that moment lasted. While the sun lasted._

_Everything would come to an end, just like every exciting thing in his life did, but he was prepared._

_Just a little bit longer. For just a little bit longer, he wanted to feel the beating of his own heart in his chest._

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

The rain pounded outside the cafe window, reminding Taichi of just how dreary it was. Yet again, he asked himself what he was even doing. He didn’t even like coffee, and yet here he was, sitting across from Yuki and wracking his brain for something to talk about.

Yuki looked unbothered by the situation, scanning the menu and tapping his finger on the surface of his powered off Samsung. “Have you been here before?” He asked dully, not looking up from the glossy packet.

Taichi fumbled with the bracelet he’d pulled off his wrist, whipping his head up. His mouth felt dry. He’d never been on a date before. What was he supposed to do? Was this even a date in the first place? That’s what they’d called it, but they called stuff a lot of things; they called themselves boyfriends and yet they never even sat with their shoulders touching for longer than twenty minutes, they called themselves happy even when Taichi could feel his all-too-familiar shadow of insecurities choking him from behind, they called themselves fine when they couldn’t even hold a decent conversation. Was this any different?

“Yes, I have!” He answered, wincing at the way his voice squeaked. Yuki didn’t seem to notice.

“What are you getting, then?”

Taichi chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Just a hot chocolate. I’m kind of boring, I know.”

Yuki shrugged. “It’s just a drink. Doesn’t make you any more or less boring.” Somehow, that just made him feel worse.

When the waiter came around to their table, Taichi ordered just what he’d said he would and Yuki got an iced coffee. (So he does like coffee. Bingo.)

“I need help with Neo Ganger’s costume,” Yuki stated rather than requested, not taking his eyes away from the window he’d twisted to look out of. “It’s stumping me.”

Taichi nodded, not taking his eyes away from Yuki’s face. He didn’t look as peaceful as he’d expected; rather, he looked troubled, his eyebrows furrowed by just a smudge and his mouth curved into a little scowl. “Are you– “ he paused to think it over. Would Yuki appreciate the concern, or would he consider him annoying? _Only one way to find out._ “Are you okay?”

Yuki spun around his seat; expression hardened. “What?”

Taichi squeaked, tilting his head so he could avert his eyes safely. “Sorry. You just don’t look so good.”

“I’m fine,” he muttered, his hands gripping the table so hard they turned white. The two of them didn’t speak for a while. The waiter came and went but Yuki didn’t touch his drink, so Taichi didn’t, either. He must have waited for hours, even if it had only been about five minutes.

Eventually, Yuki confessed, “I’m not really sure what we are.”

_That makes two of us,_ Taichi thought. “Aren’t we dating?”

“Are we?” he asked, tucking his hair behind his ear. “Is this even a date or are we just going out for drinks? What even is a date? I don’t know.”

Taichi didn’t say anything in response. He couldn’t reassure him because he didn’t have an answer. How could he speak up when he didn’t even know what to say? Apparently, Yuki took that offensively, since he began to stand up and grab his things. “I’m sorry. I just don’t think we can work out.”

“Wait!” Taichi yelped a bit louder than necessary, grabbing his companion’s wrist and tugging him back down to his seat. Yuki hit his knee on the table (and that must have hurt) but he didn’t even scold him for it. He just waited.

Taichi paused and then said, “why do you think we can’t work out?”

“Because I don’t know what I’m doing!” Yuki stated, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “I never wanted to be in a relationship growing up. Muku always talks about cheesy dances under the moonlight, Homare waxes poetry about how much he wants a big gesture of love, but I just don’t know how that applies to _me_. Big things like that just make me uncomfortable at best.”

Taichi scanned his face without looking him directly in the eye, still not letting go of his friend’s wrist. “Do I make you uncomfortable?”

“No,” Yuki said firmly, his expression not giving anything away. “ _This_ doesn’t make me uncomfortable. What makes me uncomfortable is what everyone says _this_ has to be!”

“Who says _this_ has to be anything?”

“Everyone,” he grumbled, his hands clenched into fists.

“Well, they aren’t apart of this, right?” Taichi asked. “We can take it slow if you want. I don’t really know what I’m doing, either,” he confessed. “I’ve never been in a relationship, so I have no idea how it works.”

Yuki sighed rather loudly and then muttered, “do you mean that? Because I don’t want to stick around if you aren’t willing to wait.”

“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it!” Taichi laughed nervously, scuffing the toe of his shoe into the floor.

They remained quiet and still. Taichi felt the need to hold his breath, unsure if he had said the right thing. Finally, after what felt like forever, Yuki relaxed into the chair and picked up the drink. “Good.”

Taichi had to admit, when he thought of relationships, he did think of devotion, red roses, and glasses of champagne. He thought of passionate kisses, comforting whispers, and cuddling by a fire.

But, when Taichi thought of relationships, he also thought of Yuki. So, if waiting was what it took to be with him, he’d wait. He’d wait a thousand years if he had to (although he’d prefer not to).

So, he vowed to stay until Yuki figured it out. (And maybe, just maybe, he’d be able to figure it all out, too.)

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

Taichi woke up to a warm room. There was no sun shining through the window, nor was his heater on full blast. Rather, it was winter outside. He could just barely see through the cracks in the blinds that snow was piling up outside his window, turning the world into its own icy wonderland. His half-drunk mug of hot chocolate was sitting on his cluttered desk all the way across the room, far out of his grasp. He’d have crawled out of bed to heat it up if there weren’t arms wrapped around his waist and a nose buried in the back of his nightshirt.

“You are my only source of warmth,” a half-asleep voice said from behind him, muffled by fabric. “If you stand up, I will make you be the one to sew all of my long-sleeves this winter.”

Taichi laughed, resting his hands on top of Yuki’s. “I wasn’t going to.”

“Yes you were, I could feel it.”

“I was considering it,” Taichi admitted, leaning his head back. “But I won’t.”

“Good.” Yuki didn’t say anything after that, just tightened his grip and continued to sleep.

Taichi was happy to stay as long as his boyfriend needed. Yuki really did need the rest. He’d spent all of autumn binge-sewing-and-designing, not taking a break to even eat meals. It wasn’t unusual for him to do such a thing, he’d been a hard worker since their days in Mankai, but that didn’t mean Taichi didn’t get worried.

It was unhealthy for anyone to neglect their own needs just for work, even if they would binge on sleep afterwards. It was especially bad because a lot of the time Yuki wouldn’t take a long, well-deserved break after. Instead, he’d just move onto the next project and dig himself into a hole all over again. Taichi had to drag him to the bedroom and to the dining room with force. (And he wasn’t very strong.)

_Mornings like these are nice_ , Taichi thought to himself, closing his eyes and nestling further into the blankets. _Even with Yuki’s grumpiness._

Things had been hard for them when their relationship first started. It had been tough for them to get a handle on how to act around each other; it was a weird play that casted only rookies (kind of like all of Izumi’s plays). They constantly had some kind of distance between each other, almost uncomfortably so. It took five months just to get them used to holding hands.

Compared to some of the other couples they’d met when they were first starting, Taichi felt like they were less happy together. He had worried that maybe he’d pushed Yuki into it, maybe he wasn’t actually interested.

But, after at least two years of testing and worrying, they finally figured it out. Now, Taichi couldn’t even imagine being unhappy in their relationship. Sure, they had conflicts. Yuki’s problem with isolating himself when anything inconvenienced him, Taichi’s stubborn insecurities that refused to run away. They fought, they lost their way, but eventually, they always found their way.

It was on mornings like these, when he could bask in Yuki’s warmth and allow the outside world to dissolve away, that he was reminded of just how real this was. It wasn’t fake, it wasn’t an elaborate prank.

He didn’t have to worry, because if anything came to get in his way, Yuki would still be there.

“I love you,” Taichi whispered, breaking their silence. He felt his boyfriend’s arms shift around him, just by a little, but he didn’t respond. He just pressed himself closer to his body.

Taichi didn’t mind if Yuki didn’t respond, because he knew that even without the declarations and statements, Yuki loved him regardless.

It wasn’t much, but it was theirs, and that wasn’t just enough for Taichi. It was perfect for him. This was his life, and it was all he wanted.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! I had been listening to Stupid With Love from Mean Girls and suddenly got the urge to write Taiyuki so here we are, lmao. I really love their dynamic, specifically with how they both develop together throughout the event stories. Writing this fic made me feel very relaxed and happy, so I hope it felt the same for you to read it! It's starting to get kind of late into the night at the moment but I just had to do something for my boys. I hope I did them justice! If you enjoyed the fic, please leave a comment (and kudos, of course)! It keeps me writing and definitely helps with my self-esteem, lmao. It's alright if you don't have the time, though. If you're interested in my other work, make sure to check out my tumblr (xxxbookaholic). I mostly post A3! stuff with a side dish of Danganronpa.
> 
> Have a nice rest of your day!


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